Land assembly

Nicky Gavron: What progress have you made lobbying the Government to implement the reforms proposed in the GLA’s “Capital Gains” report, in particular the introduction of “Land Assembly Zones”? Will you work with the new Government to ensure the necessary legislative changes are enacted?

The Mayor: The proposed reforms provide options for delivering better outcomes from development through a more interventionist approach to land assembly. My first priority is to test the limits of current public sector powers to intervene in land assembly to accelerate development and deliver more affordable homes and better-funded infrastructure. I have funded a number of councils to develop a strategic, masterplan-led approach to the development of growth areas through the Homebuilding Capacity Fund. This includes the preparation of site allocations that cut across land ownership. I will carefully monitor the success of these projects, to inform my set of specific lobbying asks for legislative reform.
My officers regularly engage with Government officials to secure changes that will best deliver for London and I am committed to work with the new Government to lobby for the changes London needs.

TFL - Taxi (2)

Andrew Boff: What is a) the longest and b) the most expensive taxi or private hire journey that was taken in 2019?

The Mayor: Taxi or private hire journeys are used by on-duty TfL staff only when public transport options are not viable. The longest and most expensive taxi journey that Transport for London (TfL) could identify in 2019 was booked on 7 January with a distance of 122 miles and a cost of £531.00.
This was a booked special taxi (not a regular scheduled taxi) and was an exceptional trip for a Trauma Support counsellor and staff member who was impacted by an incident involving a person under a train. This was to ensure the safety and wellbeing of our staff member, and such matters are referred to the Senior Operating Officer before final decisions are taken.

Bus Mileage Reduction

Tony Devenish: What has been the total reduction in bus mileage across London since May 2016?

The Mayor: In the year to 12 October 2019 (Transport for London’s [TfL’s] most recent reporting period), 296 million bus miles were operated, compared with 305 million bus miles in the year to May 2016. This represents a three per cent reduction in bus mileage with passenger numbers having declined by 4.5 per cent over the same period.
The changes TfL has made to modernise the bus network will prepare it to accommodate growth in outer London, where there will be year-on-year increases in bus mileage.

TfL Outsourcing

Unmesh Desai: What is the Mayor's position with regard to outsourcing by TfL, especially with regard to exporting low paid work currently taking place in London to locations outside the capital?

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) takes a number of factors into account when looking at outsourcing. All outsourcing is subject to a business case which balances the costs, operational risks and industry expertise. I am clear that such business case reviews should always make provision for challenging any previous assumptions about the contracting out of services.
Under my Responsible Procurement Policy, TfL includes contractual conditions to ensure fair employment practice obligations are a requirement for outsource providers. In addition, TfL has developed a framework for suppliers to demonstrate their capability to carry out the work on behalf of TfL, operate as a financially sustainable business and ensure that they meet high employee standards.

A&E services in London

Andrew Dismore: Which Hospital Trusts in London met the 4-hour A&E waiting time targets, and which did not, according to the latest figures, and what was each of their performances?

The Mayor: The latest published figures (October 2019) show that no hospital trust in London delivered the four-hour standard[1]. The attached table provides information on individual trust performance. This information is publicly available on the NHS website.
I meet quarterly with the Regional Director of NHS England and NHS Improvement. NHS performance is a standing item on the agenda. I will continue to press for improvements on behalf of Londoners.
[1] The NHS Constitutional Standard is that all at least 95% of patients attending A&E should be admitted, transferred or discharged within four hours

Dementia Care Support

Unmesh Desai: A report produced for the Alzheimer’s Society by LSE1 predicts that projected dementia care across my constituency will increase between 45%-51% in the next 11 years. Please detail the work in place to support my constituents to cope with the growing demands being made upon them.
https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/sites/default/files/2019-11/cpec_report_november_2019.pdf

The Mayor: As LSE’s report makes clear, dementia care is provided by the NHS, social care providers, unpaid carers, and most often by family members. Services are commissioned and delivered locally through Clinical Commissioning Groups, local authorities and self-funded care via third sector private providers. Local Health and Wellbeing Boards in your area will be bringing local partners together to consider how best to meet the needs of an increasing number of people with dementia in their community. In addition, the London Dementia Clinical Network is working to improve timely dementia diagnosis, reduce variation in memory services, foster integrated working and support urgent care planning.
I am working in partnership with Alzheimer’s Society and others to develop a Dementia Friendly London which will support and empower Londoners affected by dementia to live well with the illness. My dementia champion, Chief Officer Mary Harpley will be updating the London Health Board on progress at its January meeting.

Rough Sleepers

Joanne McCartney: The number of people sleeping rough on our streets is rising and winter is coming. What new work is your office doing to support those people, often extremely vulnerable, who find themselves sleeping rough in London? What urgent action should the government take to support you and other partners in this essential work?

The Mayor: I am continuing to expand my Life Off the Streets programme of rough sleeping services, with City Hall’s rough sleeping budget this year more than double the £8.5 million it was when I came to office. My new Winter Programme will mean shelters open continuously from the end of the Christmas period until at least the end of February, and in partnership with boroughs and providers, we will be providing over 300 additional bedspaces. This extra provision will complement services I have expanded to operate all year round - including a new dedicated StreetLink London website and a Rapid Response Team to get help to people on the streets faster when members of the public make referrals through this service. Government needs to step up and makes the reforms and investment needed, as clearly set out in my Rough Sleeping Plan of Action.

EMF Action Group

Caroline Pidgeon: As the role of Mayor of London includes addressing health inequalities will you ensure that your team responsible for implementing policies in this area agree to meet and formally address the concerns raised by the EMF (Electronic magnetic fields) Action Group?

The Mayor: Planning for a smarter, well-connected city is a fundamental component of Good Growth. Access to world-class digital connectivity is essential for the future success of the capital, and ensuring all Londoners have access to digitally delivered services and opportunities.
I am aware of the concerns raised by the EMF Action Group. I have sought advice from Public Health England (PHE), who advises Government on all aspects of public health, and responded to correspondence from the EMF Action Group. PHE advises that, based on the accumulated evidence and reviews, the guidelines of the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) should be adopted and that there is currently no convincing evidence that radio wave exposures below the ICNIRP guideline levels cause adverse health effects.
Information on PHE’s advice on radio waves is available in the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/electromagnetic-fields

Affordable Housing approvals (3)

Tom Copley: Can you provide a table of net approvals by tenure by borough for 2017-18 for schemes that are not supported by GLA grant funding?

The Mayor: It is not possible to provide a table of net approvals by tenure and borough for schemes that are not supported by GLA funding, as it requires data from different and presently incompatible administrative systems to be linked.
GLA statistics provide figures on affordable housing starts and completions by tenure and borough, for schemes that are supported by GLA funding. However, net approvals are not monitored through the GLA affordable housing funding program.
The London Development Database provides data on planning permissions, starts and completions across London. Information on approvals by tenure and borough is available, but not linked to funding sources.

Affordable Housing approvals (2)

Tom Copley: The difference between tables 3.19 and 3.20 in the latest London Plan Annual Monitoring report implies that non-major planning applications account for 25.1% of net housing approvals in 2017-18, but only 2.7% of the net affordable housing approvals. What steps can you take to increase the amount of affordable housing delivered as part of smaller developments?

The Mayor: Smaller developments can make an important contribution to housing supply across London. My draft London Plan encourages boroughs to secure cash-in-lieu affordable housing contributions from non-major developments of nine units or fewer. These contributions can then be utilised as part of borough-wide affordable housing programmes.
I recently published a prospectus that sets out the package of Mayoral support available to smaller and medium-sized housing associations. This includes an option to drawdown 75 per cent of Affordable Homes Programme grant allocations to acquire land. This is a significant benefit to smaller providers and it is hoped this will lead to more fully affordable minor development schemes. Furthermore, my ‘Small Sites, Small Builders’ programme will continue to make more small, publicly-owned sites available to small housing associations so they can play a bigger role in building the affordable homes that London needs.

Cladding remediation fund updates in future

Andrew Dismore: Will you publish a monthly update on the activity of the cladding remediation funds administered by the GLA?

The Mayor: The Private and Social Sector Cladding Remediation Funds are Government-led programmes and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government publish a monthly data release on buildings with aluminium composite material cladding in England. The GLA will explore the possibility of providing a monthly update specifically for London.

London Development Panel 2 requirements (1)

Andrew Dismore: Your changes to the LDP2 note that developers should register white goods “or advise new residents to do this”. Will you consider removing the option to place this responsibility on individuals and ensure the task lies clearly with the developer?

The Mayor: I will update the LDP guidance to state that Developers must register any in-built electrical products which they install. Developers must also encourage residents to register any white goods which the residents themselves bring into their new homes.

London Development Panel 2 requirements (2)

Andrew Dismore: What steps have you taken to encourage other public land owners to sign up to LDP2 standards on fire safety, and which organisations have adopted these or equivalent requirements?

The Mayor: As Mayor, I have been encouraging other public landowners to adopt the practices laid out in the LDP2 Fire Safety Guidance. These measures have been raised in meetings with Transport for Londonand other partners. In addition, when landowners seek access agreements to use the panel, the Fire Safety Guidance is shared, explaining that I strongly encourage the take up of practices laid out in the document. The guidance is also being raised by GLA officers in regular meetings with borough representatives, encouraging them to do the same on their land. Lastly, the Fire Safety measures have been published on the London.gov webpage.

London Development Panel 2 requirements (3)

Andrew Dismore: How many of the following forms of buildings were a) given planning permission and b) built under the previous LDP2 fire safety requirements:
1. purpose-built blocks of flats (including conversions, student accommodation and hotels);
2. homes where vulnerable people live;
3. buildings housing vulnerable residents, such as care homes or sheltered accommodation;
4. schools; and
5. buildings/conversion of any type that are of 18m in height or more?

The Mayor: This information is not currently held. I will provide a response by the end of January.

London Development Panel 2 requirements (4)

Andrew Dismore: How many of the following forms of buildings have been a) given planning permission and b) built under the new LDP2 fire safety requirements:
1. purpose-built blocks of flats (including conversions, student accommodation and hotels);
2. homes where vulnerable people live;
3. buildings housing vulnerable residents, such as care homes or sheltered accommodation;
4. schools; and
5. buildings/conversion of any type that are of 18m in height or more?

The Mayor: This information is not currently held. I will provide a response by the end of January.

Cladding remediation fund December update (1)

Andrew Dismore: How much money has been a) allocated and b) disbursed to remediate high rise residential buildings with ACM cladding in London, spilt between publicly and privately-owned buildings?

The Mayor: The GLA is working hard to administer the Cladding Remediation Funds as swiftly as possible and my team is in daily contact with Applicants to bring forward applications urgently. Ultimately, however, pace is dictated by the Applicant. As of 12 December 2019:
Allocated
Disbursed
SSCRF
£208,440,037
£74,776,327
PSCRF
£49,495.84
None

Fire safety and borough funds (2)

Andrew Dismore: What impact has the need for boroughs and other social sector landlords to spend money on fire safety improvements had on their ability to meet your affordable housing targets?

The Mayor: Please see my response to Mayor's Question 2019/20923.

Equalities duty and local planning

Jennette Arnold: What support have you provided to local authorities in London to ensure that their local plans and the work of their planning departments properly discharge the public sector equality duty?

The Mayor: While each local authority is responsible for ensuring that they fulfil the requirements of the Public Sector Equality Duty, I have brought forward in my new London Plan a number of policies that support the aims of the PSED. Policy GG1 Building strong and inclusive communities defines good growth as inclusive growth, and states that those involved in planning and development must support and promote the creation of an inclusive London where all Londoners, regardless of their age, disability, gender, gender identity, marital status, religion, race, sexual orientation, social class, or whether they are pregnant or have children, can share in its prosperity, culture and community, minimising the barriers, challenges and inequalities they face.
Policy D5 Inclusive design requires Boroughs, in preparing their Development Plans, to support the creation of inclusive neighbourhoods by embedding inclusive design and collaborating with local communities in the development of planning policies that affect them. In addition, supporting text explains that the Mayor will assist boroughs and other agencies in implementing an inclusive design approach by providing further guidance where necessary, continuing to contribute to the development of national technical standards and supporting training and professional development programmes.
Also, through my Good Growth by Design programme I am addressing the lack of diversity in the built environment profession which is clearly a barrier to inclusivity. I have a published the ‘Supporting Diversity Handbook’ that addresses barriers to equality diversity and inclusion in the sector. We are working to see this rolled out as professional training through professional institutions. And I have launched‘Public Practice’, a service that builds capacity in the public sector and aims to increase the representation of women and BAME candidates in important roles across London.

BBC London’s Inside Out investigation into fraudulent qualification being obtained by Private Hire Drivers (1)

Caroline Pidgeon: In light of BBC London’s Inside Out investigation showing fraudulent qualifications‎ being used to secure private hire licences in London, what are you doing to tighten up the conditions of licence to ensure every private hire driver meets the highest standards including an advanced driving qualification?

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) and I were deeply concernedby the fraudulent activity exposed by BBC London’s Inside Out programme. As a result of the BBC report, I immediately spoke with Transport for London (TfL) to ensure that urgent action was being taken.
TfL immediately put on hold any applications from candidates who have not taken a topographical assessment in a TfL centre. TfL has now revoked the licences of 143 drivers who obtained certificates through Vista Training Solutions and rejected the 209 pending applications using certificates from the compromised college.
TfL will also be removing the ‘relevant vocational qualification’ concession from 1 February 2020 (see Mayor's Question2019/20291 for exemption details). All applications for a PHV driver’s licence received before 1 February 2020 and accompanied by evidence of a relevant qualification will be considered. If TfL have any concerns regarding the validity of the certificate, the application may be refused or the applicant may be required to take a TfL topographical skills assessment.
TfL will support the relevant authorities with any wider investigations into these organisations and will take immediate action against any driver identified as fraudulently obtaining a licence.
Regarding an Advanced Driving Test for private hire drivers, Transport for London (TfL) will await the results of the Government’s consultation on statutory guidance for national minimum standards before deciding on its next steps. This is to ensure that TfL is aligned with the Government’s statutory guidance. The consultation ran from 12 February 2019 to 22 April 2019 and the Government has indicated that it will publish the results in autumn/winter 2019.

London Healthy Workplace Award Employees

Leonie Cooper: Please list the number of employees working in organisations covered by the London Healthy Workplace Award in each borough.

The Mayor: I am pleased that there are over 370,000 employees working for employers in London that have received a London Healthy Workplace Award (LHWA) and who benefit from a workplace that supports good health and wellbeing.
Please see the table below which includes the breakdown of these employees by borough, based on the borough where their employer/business is registered.
Employees represented
Barking and Dagenham - 9255
Barnet -5154
Bexley - 1995
Brent - 2465
Bromley – 84
Camden – 34,425
City of London – 25,589
Croydon – 3150
Ealing - 4119
Enfield - 9785
Greenwich – 21,237
Hackney - 9959
Hammersmith and Fulham - 1704
Haringey – 10,115
Harrow – 2829
Havering – 10,099
Hillingdon – 4,901
Hounslow – 92
Islington – 11,230
Kensington and Chelsea – 20,670
Kingston upon Thames – 10,222
Lambeth – 5405
Lewisham – 6000
Merton – 7698
Newham – 6817
Redbridge – 2691
Richmond upon Thames – 2584
Southwark – 46,188
Sutton – 52
Tower Hamlets – 30,628
Waltham Forest -97
Wandsworth – 14,312
Westminster – 48,542
Total: 370,093

Fatigue Audit IA 17780

Keith Prince: Per your response to Question 2019/17463, did TfL share the findings of IA 17780 with the unions ASLEF and Unite before it was published on a restricted and confidential basis on 15 September 2017?

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) did not share the findings of IA 17780 with the unions ASLEF and Unite before it was published.

Public health and crime (1)

Onkar Sahota: Since 2015/16, public health allocations to London boroughs have fallen by nearly £67 million. What analysis have you made of the possible connection between this and the crime rate in London?

The Mayor: Responsibility for public health transferred from the NHS to Local Authorities in 2013 and despite the initial commitment to increase funding, the grant has been cut every year since 2015.
These cuts are impacting on councils’ capacity to provide the preventative, evidence-based services that Londoners need and have been proven to be effective in tackling health inequalities. Some also form the cornerstone of a public health approach to violence reduction - such as health visiting, school nursing and effective drug and alcohol treatment.
That is why I have called for the cuts in the public health grant to be reversed, and funding increased at least in line with the NHS.
In 2018 I set up England’s first Violence Reduction Unit to tackle the underlying causes of violence. The Unit has commissioned two important reviews to help shape its approach to violence prevention in the capital. These reviews bring together an assessment of what we know about violence in London and are due to be published early in the new year.

Earnings over £100k

Susan Hall: How many City Hall employees earned more or are due to earn more than £100,000 per year during the years 18/19 and 19/20 to date?

The Mayor: In the year 2018/2019 there were 30 employees who earned £100,000 or more. Three positions with a salary of over £100,000 were on the establishment, but vacant as at 31 March 2019.
For the full year 2019/2020, there are 33 employees who will earn £100,000 or more if they remain at the GLA on the same salary until 31 March 2020.One of these positions has a salary that is now in excess of £100,000 due to the annual inflationary salary award. One of the positions from 2018/2019 is now vacant.

Infectious Diseases

Andrew Boff: Please can you provide a breakdown of the number of different cases of infectious diseases in London each year since May 2016?

The Mayor: As the GLA does not collect data on all STI diagnoses in London, beyond those that are captured in GLA data store and that support specific areas of the Health Inequalities Strategy (HIS). I must therefore refer the Assembly Member to our statutory health advisor Professor Paul Plant at Public Health England who will be able to provide the breakdown required.
My HIS refers explicitly to HIV, TB and hepatitis C because of the specific challenges they present in London, including the inequalities and stigma associated with them that can act as a barrier to early diagnosis. I am supporting partnership efforts to eliminate hepatitis C by 2025 and new HIV infections by 2030. A number of commitments in my health inequalities strategy will contribute to tackling TB in London including the work to address rough sleeping.
For data on HIV please see my response to Mayor's Question 2019/21030.
For Hepatitis C, at the end of 2018 the estimated number of people with chronic hepatitis C infection in London was 14,200 (95 per centcredible interval 11,900-16,900)[1]. We know that many of them remain undiagnosed.
While London accounted for 36 per centof all people with TB in 2018 - over double the national rate - cases continue to decline. In 2018 1,691 people notified with TB. This was a drop of more than half from the peak in 2011[2].
[1] PHE London hepatitis C bulletin, July 2019
[2] https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploa...

STI Diagnoses

Andrew Boff: Please can you provide a breakdown of the number of different STI diagnoses in London each year since May 2016?

The Mayor: The GLA does not collect data on STI diagnoses in London. I have published data collected by others on the GLA data store that relates to specific priorities in the London Health Inequalities Strategy (HIS). I must, therefore, refer the Assembly Member to my statutory health advisor, Professor Paul Plant, at Public Health England who will be able to provide the breakdown required.
My HIS recognises the need to promote good sexual health and I am concerned about the significant rises in some STIs in London. I have called on the Government to reverse the cuts to the public health grant so that sexual health services in London can be adequately funded.
I have a specific commitment in my HIS on supporting work to eliminate HIV. The most recent data we have at the GLA on HIV reveals that 1,504 people were newly diagnosed with HIV in London in 2018, a 12 per centfall from 2017. The 36,689 people living with diagnosed HIV in London in 2018 was 2 per centlower than in 2017 but 29 per centhigher than in 2009[1].
[1] https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/835084/hpr3119_hiv18-v2.pdf

NHS vacancies (1)

Onkar Sahota: Are you concerned that the percentage of vacant NHS posts in London has risen again and areabove the national vacancy rates?

The Mayor: I am acutely aware of the pressures London’s NHS and social care sector face in recruiting and retaining staff. The high vacancy rates in London’s NHS are very concerning, putting increased pressure on our already hardworking and stretched NHS staff. The government’s policies on Brexit and immigration are making it harder to recruit and retain European and overseas talent and London has a higher proportion of these staff than other parts of the country.

NHS vacancies (2)

Onkar Sahota: While recognising that the Mayoralty has no remit over NHS matters, is there more that you can do to support recruitment to the NHS in London?

The Mayor: Through my Skills for Londoners Business Partnership, I am working closely with London employers and representative bodies, including Health Education England, to identify how the Adult Education Budget, and other skills and employment programmes, can support health and care workforce strategies and ensure employers have access to a pipeline of skilled staff.
I am supporting and promoting NHS initiatives, for example Capital Nurse which seeks to improve recruitment and retention rates for nurses.
I have raised health and care staffing with Sir David Sloman, Director, NHS London who has assured me that workforce is a top priority. Sir David’s team is developing an NHS People’s Board and I will ensure that appropriate links are made with the GLA.

Cladding remediation fund December update (4)

Andrew Dismore: What is the a) modal average, b) highest and c) lowest number of state aid forms that have needed to be collected to progress remediation in private high-rise residential buildings accessing the GLA-administered fund?

The Mayor: The Private Sector ACM Cladding Remediation Fund application process is split into two stages: an eligibility submission, followed by a fully costed application. State Aid declarations are considered when the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government considers a full application and approves a grant amount. As of 11 December 2019, no London buildings had reached this stage in the application process.

Walk-in centre changes

Onkar Sahota: How many NHS walk-in centres in London have closed, restricted access, or reduced their opening hours since 2015?

The Mayor: I understand that this information is not centrally held by NHS England and NHS Improvement’s London office, as walk in centres are commissioned locally by individual CCGs, informed by national guidance.
I will continue to champion and challenge the NHS to provide high quality health and care services for Londoners when and where they need them.

Marsh Drive

Andrew Dismore: You will no doubt be aware of the appalling conditions residents of Marsh Drive in West Hendon have suffered during the “regeneration” of their estate, when undemolished and inhabited blocks suffer from leaks, mould and damp. They are not regularly cleaned or maintained, and as a result there are reports of children being bitten by cockroaches.
Do you agree with me that it is unfair and morally wrong for Barnet Council to treat residents who live in temporary accommodation, and that all residents enjoy rights not to live in sub-standard conditions? What work is the Mayor doing to drive up the quality of temporary accommodation?

The Mayor: I am completely clear that people living in temporary accommodation (TA), often for long periods, are entitled to good quality accommodation. More importantly, the law is also clear on this point. I expect all boroughs to abide by it.
I am also committed to supporting London boroughs with the huge challenge of securing decent TA. I have invested £11 million in the PLACE initiative and I am supporting the Setting the Standard scheme, through which they will ensure that all B&B and other accommodation for which they pay on a nightly basis is inspected and assessed.
At the same time, I will make every effort to ensure that far fewer Londoners end up in TA in the first place – by delivering more social rented homes and calling on the Government to reverse its welfare reforms and adopt my blueprint for a more secure and affordable private rented sector.

The GLA’s health budget

Onkar Sahota: GLA budgets have not historically provided a clear structure of health-related spending. While this is a complex matter, will you provide costings for the programmes overseen by your health team?

The Mayor: I published my London Health Inequalities Strategy in Autumn 2018, structured around the five key aims of healthy children, minds, places, communities and living.
The health team budget was reprofiled to support delivery against these aims, and my role in providing leadership for health in London for 2019/20. This is set out in MD 2439, available at https://www.london.gov.uk/decisions/md2439-health-team-work-programme-201920
The decision covers all the key programmes delivered by the health team including healthy early years, healthy schools, healthy workplaces, social prescribing, child obesity reduction and mental health.

Music Tourism in London (2)

Leonie Cooper: How are you promoting music tourism for prospective international visitors?

The Mayor: The capital is the most popular destination in the UK for music tourism. In 2018, 2.8 million people came to London to attend live music events, spending £1.2bn.
My promotional agency London & Partners promotes London’s world class cultural offer through their official visitor guide Visit London. This includes a dedicated music hub (www.visitlondon.com/things-to-do/whats-on/music) which is visited by 200,000 prospective visitors a year and recommendations such as ‘101 things to do in London for music fans’ and information on London’s music heritage. It also promotes festivals and events and allows tourists to book tickets.

Music Tourism in London (4)

Leonie Cooper: Are you concerned that the UK’s potential departure from the EU may make to more difficult for artists that perform at live music events?

The Mayor: Yes, I am very concerned. The Government’spost-Brexit immigration plans and proposals to end freedom of movement will have a detrimental impact on the capital’s creative economy. In 2018, I commissioned a report, Preparing for Brexit, Cambridge Econometrics, to research the potential economic impact of Brexit and they concluded that creative sector stands to lose up to £1bn of growth and have 6,000 fewer jobs by 2030 in the case of a no-deal Brexit.
The music industry contributes £5.2bn to the UK economy, with many international artists choosing to tour in London. We are already seeing the impact of Brexit plans. UK orchestras are reporting a fall in the number of EU musicians performing in the UK – something which will be exacerbated by uncertainty about future visa requirements.
Free movement of workers has enabled UK and European artists to travel and work within the EU without visas or work permits. This has been critical to the success of London’s world-renowned live music scene. International touring is a vital way for musicians to earn money and build a fan base. A proposed system for checking and transporting equipment would be also be time consuming and costly for many UK artists, meaning many would not tour in Europe.
If London, and the UK, are to continue as the home of music, the Government must ensure the UK post-Brexit immigration system allows London to access the skills and talent it needs from Europe and the rest of the world. Any Free Trade Agreement with the EU must protect the ability of the music industry to trade and tour.

Crossrail

Caroline Pidgeon: Are you satisfied with the transparency and progress of Crossrail?

The Mayor: In terms of transparency, the two-way flow of information between the project and its Joint Sponsors (Transport for London and the Department for Transport) remains positive. The publication of Board minutes and monthly updates to the Transport Committee Chair have also helped to deliver this step-change in transparency, and I continue to hold regular meetings with Crossrail Ltd.’s leadership team to receive project updates.
I was deeply frustrated that following a review of the programme it was made clear that the cost and schedule pressures facing the new Crossrail team were even more severe than initially thought.
I attended the Crossrail Board meeting on Thursday 7 November when the Board confirmed that the central section of the line will not open in 2020, which was the first part of the previously declared opening window.
Since then I have met with the Crossrail leadership to understand the causes of the delay and the actions being taken to mitigate them.
They have assured me that they will provide me and London’s residents and businesses with further certainty as soon as possible this year (2020) about when the Elizabeth line will open.
I will continue to hold the Crossrail leadership to account to ensure they are doing everything they can to open the Elizabeth line safely and as soon as possible.

Music Tourism in London (3)

Leonie Cooper: Are you concerned that the UK’s potential departure from the EU may hinder the number of international visitors that visit London to attend live music events?

The Mayor: 2018 was London’s second-best year for tourism to date, with 19.1 million tourists coming to the capital including record-breaking numbers of visitors from China and the USA. 2018 also saw 2.8 million people come to London for live music events. During the first half of 2019, international visits to London were up by 3.1 per cent, with spend up by 2.4 per cent.
Many factors influence tourism figures, such as the exchange rate and competition from other tourist destinations, but we do expect Brexit will play a part in this too.
No matter what happens with the UK’s membership of the EU, my promotional agency, London & Partners, will continue to work with my Culture team to promote all of London’s world-class cultural offer to international visitors, including live music events. I will also continue to promote the important message that London Is Open.

Helping police officers to live in London

Siân Berry: The first two recommendations of the Harris report into London’s preparedness to respond to a major terrorist incident are about the three main ‘blue light’ emergency services workers living outside of London, and the need to have them housed in London. What work has your office done to offer affordable, specific housing for key workers in London’s police force?

The Mayor: I understand how important it is that those working in London’s emergency services have access to decent and secure homes that they can afford. Since coming to office, I have secured £4.8 billion funding to deliver 116,000 new affordable homes. These homes are only available to those within income eligibility thresholds and so will be accessible to many people who work in emergency services. In addition, my draft London Plan enables boroughs to prioritise key workers, including police officers, when allocating intermediate housing.

Usman Khan

Peter Whittle: On the afternoon of Friday 29 November, officers from the Metropolitan Police shot dead Usman Khan, who had stabbed two people to death on London Bridge. He had been released from prison after serving less than half of a 16-year sentence for serious terrorism offences. Three hours later, Assistant Commissioner for Specialist Operations Neil Basu stood outside New Scotland Yard and stated that he couldn't possibly speculate about the motives behind the attack.1 Given that the police must have known within five minutes of killing him who Mr Khan was, how does Mr Basu’s statement make any rational sense?
http://news.met.police.uk/news/statement-from-ac-neil-basu-following-incident-in-london-bridge-388670

The Mayor: On the 29th of November, we saw brave members of our emergency services and ordinary members of the public rush towards danger to protect the lives of others. I’d like to once again pay tribute to their heroism and the swift, professional response by the police.
There are serious questions for the Government and others to answer about whether the attack could have been prevented. But let’s be clear, the ultimate responsibility for this vile act lies with the attacker. After a major incident like this, senior police leaders will often provide a statement to the public to inform people of the early facts, as they understand them at the time, and provide reassurance.In doing so, it’s important that they don’t rush to make judgements or fuel speculation in what can be extremely fast-paced investigations.
As Assistant Commissioner, Neil Basu, said in his first statement, the police quickly responded as though it was terror-related due to the nature of the incident. Our counter terrorism police are amongst the best in the world because they are meticulous, persistent and with an unwavering dedication to uncovering the truth without fear or favour. It’s vital they keep an open mind during any investigation.
It serves no purpose for the police to jump to conclusions as we know all too well the damage and division that can be caused by the spread of disinformation, especially when it can be amplified very quickly by social media.
But crucially, speculation which turns out to be untrue can have serious consequences for criminal justice. It can knock our confidence in the police, it can obscure crucial lines of investigation, and, ultimately, it can have an adverse effect on any future trial or inquest.
I think it’s rational, necessary and appropriate for the Assistant Commissioner to not guess at the motives or ideology of a terrorist in the immediate aftermath of an attack.As, to do so, could jeopardise efforts to obtain justice for those who lost their lives.

Homes for Londoners online property portal (2)

Siân Berry: Thank you for your answer to my question 2019/20143. As of 4 December 2019 only seven properties are available to rent through the portal, and five of these are at discount market rent (i.e. 80 per cent of market rent) a definition of ‘affordable’ that you said you had ‘ditched’. How many homes have been offered to rent through your Homes for Londoners online property portal at (a) discount market rent (b) London Living Rent and (c) London affordable rent, since its launch?

The Mayor: Since launch, 40 schemes with rental properties have been advertised on the Homes for Londoners property portal, including 28 discount market rent and 12 London Living Rent schemes. As each scheme includes multiple homes, the total number of rented homes on these schemes will be considerably higher than 40. Discount market rent units are generally marketed at less than 80 per cent of market rent in order to fit within the Mayor’s household income cap of £60,000.
London Affordable Rent units are allocated directly to people on housing needs registers by housing associations and councils, so are not advertised on the portal.

Dr Barbara Lane’s comments on high-rise residential buildings

Andrew Dismore: What assessment have you made of the concerns over safety in high-rise residential buildings with ACM cladding outlined by Dr Barbara Lane in her report to the chair of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry?

The Mayor: The Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 1 report drew on evidence submitted by many expert witnesses, including that of Barbara Lane. Her observations on the safety of ACM buildings and the approach to remediation are an important contribution towards the final recommendation made by Sir Martin Moore-Bick. I have committed to doing everything within my power to ensure that the Inquiry’s recommendations are implemented, and ensuring those responsible are held to account.

City Airport

Andrew Boff: Can authorising the lifting of the cap of 111,000 flights at City Airport be compatible with a Climate Emergency?

The Mayor: Further to the detail set out in Mayor's Question 2019/14208, my submission to London City Airport’s draft master plan consultation also raises my concerns about the climate emergency. It is vital that the aviation sector plays its part in getting to net zero and London City Airport needs to set out the specific steps it will take to manage its carbon emission in line with the most recent guidance from the Committee on Climate Change.
Until I see a credible tackling of the issues raised, as the airport’s proposals stand, it would not be in the interests of Londoners to lend them my support.

London Healthy Workplace Award Organisations by Borough

Leonie Cooper: Please list the number of organisations that have gained any form of London Healthy Workplace Award accreditation in each borough.

The Mayor: I am pleased that there is at least one accredited organisation in each of the 33 boroughs and 297 overall. In the table below I have set out the number of organisations that have gained accreditation within each of the boroughs; this is testament to the incredible support that borough leads lend to the programme.
Boroughs that are investing in workplace health have seen a larger number of businesses in their community achieving the Award, such as in Westminster and Greenwich. I encourage other London’s Boroughs to follow this example and use the London Healthy Workplace Award as a tool to engage local businesses and reduce health inequalities in their communities.
Borough
Number
Barking and Dagenham
2
Barnet
5
Bexley
3
Brent
2
Bromley
1
Camden
17
City of London
15
Croydon
1
Ealing
7
Enfield
5
Greenwich
36
Hackney
5
Hammersmith and Fulham
13
Haringey
5
Harrow
4
Havering
3
Hillingdon
6
Hounslow
2
Islington
11
Kensington and Chelsea
20
Kingston upon Thames
18
Lambeth
8
Lewisham
1
Merton
10
Newham
3
Redbridge
1
Richmond upon Thames
5
Southwark
17
Sutton
1
Tower Hamlets
6
Waltham Forest
2
Wandsworth
4
Westminster
58

Improving healthy start voucher use (2)

Onkar Sahota: What attempt has been made to measure the effect of the Healthy Early Years London scheme on the take up of healthy start vouchers?

The Mayor: To achieve the Healthy Early Years London (HEYL) Bronze Award settings should demonstrate that there is information available for parents and carers on the Healthy Start scheme (vouchers and vitamins). Currently, we know that 209 settings have achieved the HEYL Bronze award and are therefore meeting this requirement.

London Healthy Workplace Award Organisations by Size

Leonie Cooper: Please provide the number of micro enterprises, small enterprises, medium enterprises and large enterprises that have gained any form of the London Healthy Workplace Award.

The Mayor: The London Healthy Workplace Award is a framework that can support any type of business, in any sector, of any size.
I relaunched the LHWA earlier this year after a thorough review. Included in this relaunch was the introduction of two new types of award – the Micro Award, targeting businesses with less than 10 employees; and the Communal Workspace Award, targeting organisations that provide communal workspaces for business who don’t have a fixed office space.
Currently, there are 17 micro-business with an award, 150 small and medium-sized business with an award and 130 large businesses with an award. I strongly encourage business to consider signing up to the LHWA and contribute to improving the health and wellbeing of their employees.

Monitoring homes on NHS land

Onkar Sahota: Thank you for your answer to question 2019/20570 in which you stated that LEDU is considering how to measure the number of affordable homes on NHS land. When do you expect to have a solution in place by?

The Mayor: I anticipate that a solution for capturing the number of affordable homes built on former NHS land will be in place by April 2020.

School superzone measures

Onkar Sahota: What evaluation of the thirteen school superzones has been done and when do you expect future plans to be published?

The Mayor: The University of Manchester conducted interviews with the local authority officers leading the pilots to understand the processes involved in establishing Superzones and to capture the learning from the pilots. The findings are due to be submitted for publication in an academic journal.
Future plans for School Superzones will be published early in 2020. There will be ongoing evaluation funded through the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) School for Public Health Research.

GLA/Homes England funded affordable housing starts

Caroline Pidgeon: With GLA/Homes England affordable housing starts in London appearing to fall significantly, according to the latest data, what are you doing to ensure you meet your promises regarding the provision of social housing and affordable homes in London?

The Mayor: Annual data published by MHCLG shows an overall increase in affordable housing starts in London over the past year. Affordable housing starts in London increased by 11 per cent this year, up from 14,249 starts in 2017/18 to 15,765 starts in 2018/19. Affordable housing completions in London also increased by 29 per cent, from 7,135 in 2017/18 to 9,205 in 2018/19.
Quarterly data published by the GLA data shows a total of 4,874 affordable housing starts in the first half of this year (April to September 2019) against an annual target of 17,000 starts for 2019/20. The GLA is performing well against previous years’ trajectories of delivery and we cantherefore have confidence that we are on track to meet the annual target.

Junk Food Advertising Ban KPIs

Andrew Boff: Will there be KPIs/metrics to measure the success or failure of the junk food advertising ban and if so, please list what the KPIs/metrics are?

The Mayor: As I stated in my answer to Mayor's Question 2019/6370, TfL has committed to undertaking a thorough review of TfL’s Healthier Food and Drink Advertising policy after one year of implementation. This will be informed by any changes to the Nutrient Profiling Model following PHE’s current review, and by an independent academic evaluation currently being led by Professor Steven Cummins and funded by the National Institute of Health Research.
This independent evaluation is being run by a team of academic researchers from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, University of Cambridge, University of Bristol and Teesside University.
It is evaluating exposure to HFSS advertising, perceptions of HFSS foods and food purchasing in London. It is also looking at the process and implementation of restrictions to HFSS advertising. This approach has been approved by the Ethics Board at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine.

Woolwich Ferry (3)

Caroline Pidgeon: Please state which days either the Ben Woolcott or the Dame Vera Lynn ferries have not operated fully in hybrid mode since they were brought into operation?

The Mayor: There have been issues with the power management system on the new ferries. Because of this it has not been possible to optimise the use of the batteries as the manufacturer originally stated. The trials in May were to ensure this was rectified once other reliability issues had been addressed.
The ferries were operated by power from two diesel generators from 6February2019 to 29 May 2019. Since 30May 2019 both vessels have been operating in hybrid mode. After the hybrid conversion trials were completed from 24-29 May hybrid became the default operating mode and since then has been in place whenever the service has been in operation, reducing emissions and fuel consumption.
I have expressed my dissatisfaction with the performance of the Woolwich Ferry to Transport for London (TfL). TfL has developed a reliability improvement plan, working with the ferry operators and vessel manufacturers. A full lessons learnt exercise is being undertaken.

Health and Environmental Assessments of 5G Technology

Caroline Pidgeon: Will London be following the example set by other major cities including New York, Brussels and Geneva in undertaking the appropriate assessments and investigations into the health and environmental impacts of 5G technology before it is used across the city?

The Mayor: I have sought advice from Public Health England (PHE) on the impact of 5G technology on health. PHE advises Government on all aspects of public health, including exposure to radio waves, and the appropriate standards of protection for the general population. They have advised that when 5G is added to an existing network or in a new area, the overall exposure to radio waves is expected to remain low relative to guidelines and, as such, there should be no consequences for public health. More information on PHE’s advice on 5G is available in the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/5g-technologies-radio-waves-and-health/5g-technologies-radio-waves-and-health
I responded to a recent consultation from the Department for Digital Culture Media and Sport on permitted development rights to support the deployment of 5G, which included specific questions on the guarantees industry could provide around sharing of infrastructure, visual impact, site and design. Whilst I support initiatives that improve digital connectivity, including the sharing of infrastructure, it is important that these initiatives achieve the desired outcome in a sustainable and considered manner. It is essential that proposals for new or upgraded infrastructure can have their potential local impacts (e.g. their visual impact) appropriately considered through the planning process. More information about the consultation can be found here https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/proposed-reforms-to-permitted-development-rights-to-support-the-deployment-of-5g-and-extend-mobile-coverage.

Vacant Homes

Tom Copley: The latest London Plan Annual Monitoring Report for 2017-18 shows that many London Boroughs fell short of their London Plan Annual Housing Targets in part because the number of homes becoming “long term vacant” had significantly increased. Overall in London, 2,244 more homes were “long term vacant” than in the previous year. What is your assessment of this situation, and do you think the powers that boroughs have are strong enough to bring these back into use?

The Mayor: Reducing the number of empty homes is an important part of tackling London’s housing crisis and I recently asked my team to commission research into empty homes to improve our understanding of this issue in London.
My London Housing Strategy and draft London Plan encourage boroughs to use all powers available to them to tackle empty homes, including using Empty Dwelling Management Orders and levying the council tax premium, but these powers do not go far enough. I have called on Government to increase the council tax premium above its current level to make it more effective in bringing empty homes back into use.

Social housing losses

Tom Copley: Table 3.12 in the latest London Plan Annual Monitoring report shows “Net conventional affordable housing completions by tenure 2015/16 to 2017/18”. Can you confirm that while “net”, this includes demolitions but not sales? Could you therefore confirm that while table 3.12 shows 3,693 net new social homes built in London in those three years, MHCLG Live Table 685 finds that 8,892 council homes have been sold through Right to Buy in the same period, and therefore London has experienced a loss of 5,199 social rented homes?

The Mayor: Table 3.12 of the London Plan Annual Monitoring Report 15 provides figures on netconventional affordable housing supply, which is conventional completions less demolitions. Sales through Right-to-Buy are not deducted, and non-conventional completions and long-term vacants returning to use are not counted. Between 2015/16 and 2017/18, net conventional affordable housing supply amounted to 18,615 homes, including 3,693 social rented homes.
MHCLG Live Table 685 indicates that 8,892 local authority-owned homes in London were sold through the Right to Buy between 2015/16 and 2017/18.
As these two figures are from separate sets of statistics collected for different purposes, they are not directly comparable.
MHCLG also publishes data on the dwelling stock by tenure. Live Table 100 shows that between 2015 and 2018, local authority owned dwelling stock decreased by 8,960, while Registered Provider and other public sector owned dwelling stock increased by 12,790 and 3,780 respectively.

Small sites small builders programme

Tom Copley: Could you tell me: how many projects have been funded to date by the small sites small builders programme; the amount of funding awarded to each project; the location, number of new homes and tenure breakdown of each project; whether each project is planned, started or completed; and how much funding for the programme remains unspent?

The Mayor: To date, the programme has provided support and revenue funding of £514,782, which has enabled 40 sites to be brought forward via the Small Sites portal. Bids have been received for all the marketed sites from small and medium-sized developers and housing associations as well as Community Land Trusts in various locations across London (table 1). To date, four projects have submitted planning applications for a total of 117 homes, of which 44 are affordable.
There is a pipeline of 43 sites to be brought to the portal from seven public landowners, with a maximum of £1,039,265 approved in principle for due diligence studies (table 2). A further £900,000 of revenue funding remains to be allocated in 2020/21 in the next bidding round.
£5,600,000 of capital funding has been approved in principle by the LEAP Investment Committee for 5 Boroughs to unlock 16 small sites. A further £4,046,107 of capital funding will be allocated in the 2020/21 bidding round.

Short term lets (1)

Tom Copley: The Scottish Government recent published “Short-term lets - impact on communities: research”, a very detailed report on the impact of short-term lets on platforms like Airbnb on the housing market in local authorities across Scotland. Would you consider commissioning similar research to be undertaken in London?

The Mayor: My team is in regular contact with local authorities to understand the impact that short-term lets are having on their area.
The GLA will publish research on short-term lets in London in the New Year.

Cladding remediation fund December update (3)

Andrew Dismore: Please list all the organisations that have received money from the cladding remediation funds in London and state how much money each has been allocated, and for how many buildings.

The Mayor: The Government and local authorities are aware of and monitoring the remediation of all buildings in England with aluminium composite material (ACM) cladding. Residents of these buildings should also be kept regularly informed. However, releasing a list of organisation names in receipt of funds may compromise the anonymity of these buildings. This would risk the safety of residents in these buildings.

Shared ownership sales

Tom Copley: Can you provide a table or spreadsheet breaking down shared ownership sales in each of the last five financial years by: London borough, median market value per dwelling, median initial equity stake purchased (both as a percentage and monetary value), median mortgage size and median cash deposit size?

The Mayor: The following figures are based on an analysis of CORE (continuous recording of lettings and sales) data made available by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.
The table below sets out the number of shared ownership first sales in each London borough between 2013/14 and 2017/18:
London borough
2013/14
2014/15
2015/16
2016/17
2017/18
Barking and Dagenham
14
32
108
22
10
Barnet
75
21
22
120
64
Bexley
36
94
118
67
38
Brent
47
118
97
25
36
Bromley
59
42
67
42
30
Camden
16
13
8
15
17
City of London
0
0
0
2
25
Croydon
82
102
210
105
89
Ealing
123
76
62
39
106
Enfield
58
48
111
73
44
Greenwich
182
226
299
181
134
Hackney
118
124
149
68
48
Hammersmith and Fulham
36
84
19
21
14
Haringey
99
104
140
37
29
Harrow
92
22
107
23
42
Havering
25
164
148
22
8
Hillingdon
58
35
53
34
45
Hounslow
53
119
87
87
115
Islington
187
67
106
40
18
Kensington and Chelsea
7
17
61
8
6
Kingston upon Thames
9
6
2
6
5
Lambeth
138
180
207
79
119
Lewisham
174
95
232
120
84
Merton
37
32
29
28
30
Newham
55
335
137
76
122
Redbridge
25
35
27
4
30
Richmond upon Thames
14
21
16
12
9
Southwark
195
284
337
160
116
Sutton
24
15
33
41
87
Tower Hamlets
116
104
182
236
45
Waltham Forest
73
126
85
55
20
Wandsworth
89
152
231
116
122
Westminster
2
7
17
10
4
London
2,318
2,900
3,507
1,974
1,711
The table below sets out summary financial figures for shared ownership sales in London between 2013/14 and 2017/18:
2013/14
2014/15
2015/16
2016/17
2017/18
Median market value
£259,750
£299,500
£350,000
£380,000
£415,000
Median equity share (%)
40%
40%
40%
40%
35%
Median equity value (£)
£99,550
£115,000
£130,500
£147,938
£151,500
Median mortgage
£80,000
£92,238
£103,500
£116,250
£120,625
Median deposit
£13,929
£20,000
£23,000
£25,000
£24,373

Starter homes

Tom Copley: It has recently been reported that zero “Starter Homes” have been built since the Government announced the programme in 2015, with the GLA responsible for administering funds within London. How much funding was awarded by the GLA as part of the Government’s “Starter Homes” programme? Could you answer: where this funding was awarded; how many Starter Homes it was due to deliver; how many have been started; if it is expected that any of these will be completed; and if the GLA will be able to recover the funding to be used on genuinely affordable homes instead?

The Mayor: The previous Government made all allocation decisions for the “Starter Homes” programme in 2015. The GLA then administered this funding in London, on behalf of Government.
In this role the GLA processed the allocation of £854,718 in funding to the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham, who were the only Borough to secure any funding under the Government’s “Starter Homes” programme.
This funding contributed towards the cost of site preparation and remediation works on a single site in the Borough, which will help to deliver a total of 78 Starter Homes. These homes have all started on site and are still expected to complete in late 2020.
Under the terms of the contract between the GLA and the Borough, the GLA reserves the right to act on behalf of the Government to recover the funding paid under certain circumstances. However, any decision to recover funding would ultimately have to be made by the Government and the GLA would not have control over the reallocation of this funding.

The Safer Junctions programme

Florence Eshalomi: 33 junctions had improvements planned within TfL’s 2017/18 to 2021/22 Business Plan. How many of the 33 junctions will have received their improvements by 2021/22?

The Mayor: Vision Zero is my commitment that deaths and serious injuries will not be tolerated on our transport network. Both TfL and I are absolutely committed to doing everything possible to eradicate deaths and serious injuries from the transport network.
Over 70 per cent of all collisions in London occur at a junction. My Safer Junctions programme, announced in April 2017, takes an evidence-based approach to target 73 junctions on the TfL road network where high numbers of people have been killed or injured while walking, cycling or riding motorcycles - typically the most vulnerable road users.
Proposals seek to address specific safety risks at each junction, and create a more pleasant and safer environment for walking and cycling. Subsequent to the launch of the Safer Junctions programme in 2017, my 2018 Vision Zero Action Plan set TfL an ambitious target to complete 41 Safer Junctions by May 2020.
I’m pleased to say that TfL is on track to meet this target. It also expects the majority of the remaining junctions to be complete or consulted on by 2023.31 of the Safer Junctions are already complete, most recently atHighbury Corner where construction finished in September 2019.
All of them have hadmeasures introduced to reduce roaddanger, and 144 collisions have been avoided as part of the Safer Junctions programme to date. This includes a reduction of 67 per cent at St. George’s Circus and Charlie Brown’s Roundabout.
I have asked TfL to learn from the Safer Junctions delivered so far and to look for further opportunities to reduce road danger as this programme develops. TfL’s latest draft Business Plan, therefore, includes funding for more far-reaching schemes to tackle some of our riskiest roads. Locations earmarked for review include the Commercial Road corridor in east London, Bishopsgate in the City and Brixton town centre.

Health workers transport over Christmas

Onkar Sahota: Health workers have raised concerns with me that they will struggle to get into work on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and at other points over the festive season, because public transport services do not run. What can you do to make sure that TfL and other London transport providers are not leaving health workers who come in over Christmas without a service?

The Mayor: I would like to thank NHS staff who do a fantastic job, under huge pressure, to treat and take care of Londoners across our city over the festive period. I appreciate that health workers are affected by the lack of public transport services on Christmas Day.
The vast majority of Transport for London (TfL) services are open throughout the festive period, with the exception of Christmas Day when - like most transport services across the country - Tube, bus and rail services will not run. London Underground engineers will be working on Christmas Day to upgrade the Tube network. The Tube, bus and tram network will be open on Boxing Day and, unlike most train operating companies, services on the London Overground and the DLR will also be operating. In addition, there will be free access to Santander Cycles on Christmas Day and throughout December. Dial-a-Ride, which provides a free door-to-door service for those with permanent or long-term disabilities, is available on Christmas Day.
In order to consider operating Tube and bus services on Christmas Day in the future, there would need to be sufficient demand to make the service economic to run, given that so many employers, shops and facilities are closed then.

Supply chain for cladding remediation

Andrew Dismore: Have building owners in the social or private sector raised any concerns with the GLA about the availability of materials, workforce and other inputs which are needed to remediate buildings with ACM cladding?

The Mayor: Applicants have cited skills shortages, particularly of competent professionals, most notably fire engineers. My team is working closely with applicants to understand the challenges they face in remediation to ensure buildings are made safe as quickly as possible.

Cladding remediation fund December update (2)

Andrew Dismore: How many high-rise residential buildings in London in receipt of funds from the remediation funds have a) started and b) completed works?

The Mayor: A total of 35 buildings in scope of the Social Sector Cladding Remediation Fund (SSCRF) across London has received start on site payments (stage 1) from the GLA. Out of the 35 high-rise residential buildings from the SSCRF, eight have received payments for completion (stage 2).
No buildings in scope of the Private Sector Cladding Remediation Fund have received payments or submitted full works applications so the start and completion dates are unconfirmed. The GLA is working hard to administer the Fund as swiftly as possible and my team is in daily contact with Applicants to bring forward applications urgently.

London Healthcare Funding

Andrew Boff: Since becoming Mayor, how much extra funding for health services in London have you secured as a direct result of your representations to government?

The Mayor: I have made, and will continue to make, representations to government on behalf of all Londoners to ensure that they can receive the health and care services that they need and deserve. To this end I have made representations to government about reversing the cuts in the public health grant that funds services like health visiting, schools nursing and sexual health. I have called for both adult social care, and PreP funding to be put on a sustainable footing. And I have highlighted my concern that NHS finding is not keeping pace with the needs of Londoners.
The government has made a commitment to local government to a real term increase in public health grant funding, and a plan for adult social care. The recent manifesto spoke about NHS funding commitments to build hospitals, increase nursing numbers, and improve access to primary care. The NHS in London needs greater investment to meet London’s needs and address the stark health inequalities blighting some Londoner’s lives, and I look forward to seeing the detail of these plans for London.
In partnership with health leaders across London, I will continue to call on the government to give us both the funding and the powers we need to drive transformational change to health services in London.

Mental Health First Aiders (2)

Andrew Boff: How many mental health first aiders for state-funded London schools and colleges have been trained since May 2016?

The Mayor: My Youth Mental Health First Aid training was announced in August 2018. An additional 100 Youth MHFA Instructors were trained between October 2018 and March 2019 to scale up capacity to deliver the training London wide.
The training for schools and colleges commenced in January 2019 and between then and October 2019, 1300 Youth Mental Health First Aiders have been trained.
Year two of the programme is currently underway and further data will be available from April 2020.

Mental Health First Aiders (3)

Andrew Boff: What budget has been allocated to train mental health first aiders in state-funded London schools and colleges and how much of this has already been spent?

The Mayor: A budget of £1.125 million has been allocated over three years (from 2018/19 to 2020/21).
A total of £750k will have been spent by the end of 2019/20 financial year.

Babylon GP at Hand

Onkar Sahota: What discussions have you had about the impact of the GP at Hand app on primary care and the wider NHS in London?

The Mayor: I am aware of the increasing use of the GP at Hand app, and the growing place it is occupying in London’s primary care system.
I have asked my health advisor, Dr Tom Coffey, to raise the GP at Hand app in the regular engagement he has, on my behalf, with the GP community. This will help us better understand the impact of the app on primary care and the NHS in London.
I also understand that NHS-E and NHS-I have responded to their recent consultation on digital-first primary care and will be taking forward recommendations to address the issues raised in the consultation. I will be discussing these recommendations and the NHS’ plans at my regular meeting with Sir David Sloman, Regional Director NHS London.

Junk Food Advertising Ban Impact

Andrew Boff: How many fewer children are obese as a direct result of the junk food advertising ban?

The Mayor: We know that no single intervention will solve London’s child obesity crisis. That’s why I am taking action on a number of fronts to make the environment in London a place where children can grow up a healthy weight.
This includes introducing proposals to restrict the opening of new hot food takeaways within 400 metres of a school, introducing the Healthy Early Years and Healthy Schools programmes, publishing London Food, Sports and Health Inequalities strategies, supporting initiatives like The Daily Mile and the Veg Power campaign, getting water fountains installed across the city, and introducing new advertising restrictions around the advertising of HFSS food and drink.
The evidence shows us that children’s eating behaviours can be influenced by exposure to advertising and sophisticated promotional techniques. Cancer Research UK found that young people who recalled seeing junk food adverts every day were more than twice as likely to be obese.
This is why my restrictions on unhealthy foods on the TfL estate are an important contributor to support children to maintain a healthy weight. The policy has already led to changes. Major retailers are continuing to advertise on the TfL network through amending their advertising copy or by choosing to advertise healthier products.
It is however too early to understand the wider impact; and an evaluation is being carried out independently by a team at The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

Evaluating the Health Inequalities Strategy (3)

Onkar Sahota: How has your Health Inequalities Strategy supported a “health in all policies” approach?

The Mayor: To make progress on health inequalities requires action on the social, economic and environmental factors (wider determinants) that affect health. In practice, this means working with teams across the GLA to ensure that health is part of everything we do. This is outlined in the Health Inequalities Strategy, and has been evidenced by several high profile policies which we have pursued in the last year, including the TfL restrictions on unhealthy food advertising, proposed planning restrictions on new fast food take aways near schools in the London Plan, the collaboration on culture and health (e.g. dementia friendly, social prescribing and mental health), Healthy Streets, mental health and rough sleeping pilots, and action on air quality.
We have also promoted this approach more widely using tools such as the HIS stakeholder guides.

Evaluating the Health Inequalities Strategy (2)

Onkar Sahota: What programmes has your health team been responsible for in 2017/18 to 2019/20 and what has been the baseline budget and each programme budget during that time?

The Mayor: The Health Team leads on several work programmes, as well as working with partners on health inequalities, and working across GLA teams on a health in all policies approach. The main programmes led by the Team are: Healthy Early Years London, Healthy Schools London, Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) for young Londoners, London Healthy Workplaces Award (nee charter), Social Prescribing and Child Obesity. The forthcoming HIS annual report provides further details this year’s achievements.
Excluding staffing, in 2017-18 I invested £1.1 million in health programmes, rising to almost £2 million in 2018-19. Spend decisions for these are outlined in MD2115 and MD2323. In 2019-20 the total programme base budget (excluding staffing) was £2,033,000. Further details are in MD 2439 and the GLA budget papers: https://www.london.gov.uk/sites/default/files/gla_budget_april_2019_-_final.pdf
In addition, in 2019/20 £750,000 was allocated from the Young Londoners Fund for MHFA.

Evaluating the Health Inequalities Strategy (1)

Onkar Sahota: Will you publish, or ask Public Health England to publish, a review of change in the population health indicators noted in your Health Inequalities Strategy implementation plan?

The Mayor: Data on the 14 population health indicators noted in the Health inequalities Strategy action plan are published and available on London Datastore. Data is updated regularly. An update for the first year will be included in the Health Inequalities Strategy annual report.

Four-day working week

Andrew Boff: Do you have any plans to adopt a four-day working week across the GLA group?

The Mayor: There are currently no plans to adopt a four-day working week in the GLA Group.
The Group is committed to learning from good practice from other organisations and also achieving the aspirations set out in the Good Work Standard. We take all of this into account when determining what is right for the GLA Group, in relation to employee flexibility and wellbeing.
Organisations within the GLA Group appreciate that employees may want a flexible approach to working, and offer flexible working, remote working and the availability of condensed hours to staff. This can allow some staff to work a four-day week. However, these are only agreed on an individual basis and are subject to managerial approval.

Thrive London Measurable Targets

Andrew Boff: Will there be KPIs/metrics to measure the success or failure of the Thrive London Campaign and if so, please list what the KPIs/metrics are?

The Mayor: Thrive LDN is a social movement with the long-term goal of improving the mental health and wellbeing of Londoners and reducing inequalities. Performance indicators such as those used for traditional campaigns to raise awareness may not be appropriate for this work, given the complexity of partnerships and dependencies involved.
Working in collaboration with Londoners and academic partners a Theory of Change has been produced to illustrate the social change we are working to create. Currently, this evolving framework uses the following short-term outcomes to evaluate Thrive LDN partnerships, projects and activities: (1) Co-produced activities with marginalised and intersectional communities; (2) Increased number of Thrive LDN Champions; (3) Young Londoner-led activities; (4) Youth Mental Health First Aid trained education staff in each London borough; (5) Multi-agency group aligned to prevent suicides.
A key target in my Health Inequalities Strategy is for every state school in London to have access to a trained mental health first aider by 2021. With 100 Youth MHFA instructors delivering training to over 1300 Londoners, spanning 591 schools this is well on track to being achieved.

London Healthy Workplace Award

Leonie Cooper: How are you promoting the London Healthy Workplace Award?

The Mayor: The promotion strategy for the London Healthy Workplace Award (LHWA) is diverse, including work with London’s Boroughs who provide in-kind support to the programme through their healthy workplace lead officers. These borough leads are invaluable to the promotion of and engagement with the programme. The partnership approach I’ve taken offers a way to reach communities and organisations that traditional marketing and promotional methods simply cannot do.
Whilst this partnership with London’s Borough’s is core to promoting the LHWA, I have invested in other methods such as an annual Award’s night for all those who have received an Award in the previous year, digital promotion, and hosting business-to-business networking events.
I have recently commissioned a comprehensive communications and engagement strategy for the LHWA. Whilst providing universal promotion of the programme to London’s businesses, we will target sectors that can exacerbate poor health and wellbeing in the workforce, such as the low paid sector.

Fire safety and borough funds (1)

Andrew Dismore: Have London boroughs and other social sector landlords raised any concerns with the GLA about the impact on their Housing Revenue Accounts, reserves, or other funds, arising from the costs of making buildings fire safe?

The Mayor: My officers are in regular contact with social sector landlords to understand the impact of increased building safety costs. Many have highlighted that these costs mean that funds are diverted from other priorities, including investing in new affordable homes.

Prioritisation of cladding remediation

Andrew Dismore: What steps have the GLA and other Mayoral bodies taken to identify the highest priority buildings with ACM cladding for remediation and progress those works?

The Mayor: The Government’s piecemeal approach to building safety makes it very difficult to prioritise based on risk. However, rest assured the GLA is progressing any building that comes forward through these Funds with urgency.

London Fire Brigade

Susan Hall: Do you have confidence in the leadership of the London Fire Brigade?

The Mayor: Yes. Andy Roe has now taken up the post of London Fire Commissioner, having demonstrated that he understands the challenges the organisation now faces. Chief amongst these is the need for the Brigade’s leadership to rebuild the trust it has lost amongst the communities affected by the Grenfell Tower fire.
The new London Fire Commissioner will be pursuing the implementation of the recommendations of both the Grenfell Tower Inquiry phase 1 report and the Brigade’s recent HMICFRS inspection with the utmost urgency, leading the transformational change that is now required. He will also seek to meet Grenfell community groups as soon as possible, to rebuild direct relationships with those affected by the fire.
I’ve been clear that I will do everything within my power to ensure that the Inquiry’s recommendations are implemented and will work with the Brigade and others to help ensure a tragedy like Grenfell can never happen again.

Theatre Tourism in London (1)

Leonie Cooper: £7.3bn is generated from cultural tourism to London (https://www.london.gov.uk/what-we-do/arts-and-culture/london-world-city-culture-0/culture-and-economy). What is the value of theatre tourism in London?

The Mayor: London’s world class cultural offering is the most significant driver of visits to the capital and theatre is a large part of our success.
The theatre industry and the tourists it attracts are incredibly valuable to London. In 2015, the value of tourism for theatre, musicals, opera and ballet was £2.1bn, and 78% of all international tourist visits to the UK which included a visit to the theatre were in London (https://www.london.gov.uk/sites/default/files/value_of_cultural_tourism-cin_44_-_25mar2015.pdf).
My promotional agency London & Partners continues to promote London’scultural offer through Visit Londonand has set upa dedicatedtheatre website,Theatre.London, to help promote our thriving theatre industry to visitors. Data from Visit London shows us that theatre content consistently ranksinthe most popular categories for visitors.

Healthy Workplace Award progress December 2019

Jennette Arnold: How many employers are now accredited at each stage of the healthy workplace award, covering how many employees?

The Mayor: There are nearly 300 businesses accredited with a London Healthy Workplace Award (LHWA) covering over 370,000 employees. A detailed breakdown of how many businesses are awarded at which award level is set out below.
The LHWA was formally known as the London Healthy Workplace Charter and earlier this year I relaunched it after a thorough review. The structure and standards were refreshed, and I introduced two new types of awards to reflect London’s changing and dynamic economy: the Micro Award for business with less than 10 employees; and the Communal Workspace Award, for organisations providing communal workspace for businesses with no fixed office space.
Breakdown by Award category
Commitment (Charter)
Accredited - 162
Employees representing – 95,205
Achievement (Charter)
Accredited - 57
Employees representing – 105,921
Excellence (Charter)
Accredited - 30
Employees representing – 128,966
Foundation (Award)
Accredited - 38
Employees representing – 21,738
Achievement (Award)
Accredited – 7
Employees representing – 16,262
Excellence (Award)
Accredited - 1
Employees representing – 2000
Communal (Award)
Accredited - 0
Employees representing – 0
Micro (Award)
Accredited - 2
Employees representing - 6

Purchase of flats affected by flammable cladding

Andrew Dismore: Has the GLA considered purchasing the flats of private sector leaseholders affected by ACM cladding?

The Mayor: The problems leaseholders across the country are facing in selling and remortgaging homes affected by safety issues must be addressed urgently by the Government. In the first instance, the Government should revise and consolidate the Advice Notes they have issued so that building owners and mortgage lenders have greater clarity about what remediation is required to make a building safe.

Ambulance call outs to police stations

Caroline Pidgeon: How many ambulances have been called to Met custody suites between 2016-2019? Please break this down by year.

The Mayor: This information is not gathered or recorded by the GLA or the Metropolitan Police Service. I have requested the information from the London Ambulance Service, and they have provided the following.
Total incidents by year: 5227 (2016), 5154 (2017), 3939 (2018), 3164 (2019)

Camden borough legal case against Rydon et al

Andrew Dismore: What support can the GLA offer to Camden borough in their worthy but expensive legal case against the contractors that collectively left the Chalcroft estate in an unsafe state?

The Mayor: A condition of the Social Sector Cladding Remediation Fund is to ensure all legal action and/or recovery through warranties and insurance is being pursued where reasonable. It is not the role of the GLA to intervene directly in these efforts, but my team is in close contact with London Borough of Camden.

Mental Health First Aiders (1)

Andrew Boff: Can you provide the number of state-funded London schools and colleges which have a trained mental health first aider?

The Mayor: In the first year of my Youth MHFA training programme at least 1 Youth Mental Health First Aider has been trained in 591 schools and 21 colleges within London.

TAP London contactless donation points to support rough sleepers

Caroline Pidgeon: On the 28th November 2018 you launched from City Hall a scheme to allow Londoners to support charities supporting rough sleepers by making £3 donations by bank cards at 35 donation points. Please state:
How much has this scheme raised in the last 12 months?


Why is there no donation point currently at City Hall?


What is the current number of donation points across London?


Are there any steps being taken to better publicise and signpost the current donation points? As an illustration one of the donation points in London Bridge station was difficult to locate and has very poor signage.

The Mayor: I am proud to support TAP London, a non-profit organisation that operates contactless donation points to support homelessness charities in London.
Since its launch in November 2018, TAP London has raised £137,943 for the London Homeless Collective (formerly the London Homeless Charities Group). The Collective is made up of 29 homelessness charities in London which I brought together to make it
easier for Londoners to donate to support homeless Londoners. All the money donated
to the Collective is split evenly between the charities.
As well as hosting donation points in cafes, restaurants, workplaces and shopping areas across London, last winter we hosted contactless donation points at City Hall, in the cafeteria and on the side of the building. The contactless donation point remained in the City Hall cafeteria over the summer and is still there. We will have internal communications going out to all staff to help promote the donation point.
I have also just launched my winter rough sleeping campaign. This includes rolling out additional TAP contactless donation points across the city. There are already 82 donation points in operation across London, including one at Westfield in White City, and we are in the process of supporting TAP London to expand this to over 100 throughout winter.
As well as publicising the donation points through my campaign and sharing information on the other ways Londoners can help homeless Londoners (for example: referring them to Streetlink and donating online), we are also working with our location partners to increase visibility of the units especially in larger venues such as London Bridge.

Use of taxi charging points by other vehicles (2)

Caroline Russell: Thank you for your answer to my question 2019/17403. How many Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) have been issued for vehicles other than taxis stopped within an E-taxi bay?

The Mayor: As of October 2019, 48 Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs) had been issued to vehicles other than taxis for stopping within an E-taxi bay on the Transport for London Road Network.

Short term lets (2)

Tom Copley: Earlier this year, the Scottish Parliament passed the Planning (Scotland) Act 2019. It allows a planning authority to designate all or part of its area as a short-term let control area (STLCA). Within these areas, use of a dwelling as a short-term let will be considered a material change of use and require planning permission. Would you support a similar planning designation in London and would you lobby the Government to devolve greater powers to control the proliferation of short-term lets?

The Mayor: Protecting London’s housing stock for long-term residents is important, and this is why my draft London Plan makes clear that planning permission is needed for a home to be used for short-term lets for more than a total of 90 days in a year. Local authorities can apply to the Secretary of State for a Direction to restrict short-term lets in certain areas, although to date none have been approved. Local authorities are best placed to understand local housing pressures and the impact of short-term lets, and I would expect the Secretary of State to look favourably upon those wishing to bring forward such a Direction.
Beyond this, I have called on Government to introduce a registration system for short-term lets so that councils can better enforce against those unlawfully renting their properties beyond the 90-day limit, which has support from local authorities and short letting platforms across the industry. I urge Government to consider these proposals so that councils can effectively balance the benefits and potential negative impacts that excessive numbers of short-term lets bring.